Keynote given by CEO Brian Niles at the 2010 Stamats Integrated Marketing Conference in Chicago, July 2010.

3. There is a growing disconnect
between how colleges recruit
students and how students
search for the right-fit college.
TargetX Vision Statement, 1998

4. Decline in HS Graduates
Current Economic Climate
Change in Parental Generation

5. New Competitors
For Profits
Community Colleges
Local State Schools

7. >40%
Discount Rates

8. <25%
Yield Rates

10. We ourselves must be the
change we want to see in
the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

11. The
Tipping
Point

12. Change
Agents
False
Hope
Business
As Usual

13. Formula 4 Change
Campus Culture
Embracing Authenticity
Decisive Leadership

14. 2.
Do What You Do Best.
Outsource the Rest.

15. 6.
Watch Your Language

16. 9.
Embrace Urgency

17. 10.
Take Away the Chairs

18. Regularly hire consultants
Difficulty scheduling meetings
Committee to create committees
Frequently missing deadlines
Discussion inward focused
Failures of past stall new ideas

19. “It’s Ours to Lose”

20. Stop flirting with me.
Stop trying so hard.
Stop killing trees. Answer me.
Communicate with me.
TargetX/SACAC Perception Survey, 2009

23. Websites
All about the “how”
(what about the “why”?)

24. Letters
Generic. Junk. Waste.
(why do you look the same?)

25. Emails
Spam. Strange. Similar.
(talk/respond to me!)

26. Social
We’re talking about you
(do you care?)

27. Visits
Boring. Generic. Impersonal.
(can I see myself here?)

28. Parents
Dramatic Rise in Influence
(do you have a plan?)

29. Be who you are and say
what you feel because
those who mind don’t
matter and those who
matter don’t mind.
Dr. Seuss

30. Brands R
Mirrors
Know UR
DNA

31. Taglines
Inauthentic at Best.
Generic & Weird at Worst.

32. Stories not Stats.
People not Programs.

33. Authenticity
People and the
Stories they Share.

34. If your institution were a
car, restaurant or retail
establishment, what would
it be and why?
Ask your students.

35. Shared
Experiences

37. It’s about control.

38. Managers manage within
paradigms. Leaders lead
between paradigms.
Joel Barker, futurist

39. We’re in a paradigm shift.
(perfect storms force that)

40. Who is a
“decision maker”
in the room?

41. Decline in Shared
Governance
Rise of Corporate
Leadership

42. Committees cannot be
held accountable.
Only people can be.

43. __% at your desk
__% in meetings
__% with your team
__% with your customers
__% in the bathroom

44. Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world.
Indeed it is the only thing
that ever has.
Margaret Mead

45. Talent. Tools.
Training.

46. Share Information
Manage Development
Raise Professionalism

47. Sales

49. Business

50. C ustomers

51. Generate revenues.
Provide a service.
Have expenses.
Profit (or not).

52. Smart Phones/Laptops
Internet Access
Student Data (CRM)

53. Out of
Office

54. Sales & Financial Aid
Customer Service
Technology

55. Don’t chase the tools.
Chase the goals.
Howard Kang, BlueFuego

56. Who is in charge of
your social web
strategy?

57. targetx.com/videos

58. If your website sucks ...
webpagesthatsuck.com
edustyle.net/service_review.php

61. Me?

62. Let go.
Participate.
Integrate.
Sustain.

63. Facebook?
Twitter?
SMS?

64. The experience
is the marketing.
Joe Pine & Jim Gilmore

65. #1
2005 Arts & Science

66. 71%
2007 Eduventures

67. Top 5
2009 Noel-Levitz

68. >90%
I visited campus and
it just felt right.

69. College is an
intimate choice.

70. The Most Common Mistake

71. There is no college
degree in Admissions.

72. Prioritization.

74. Creative/Cute
vs. Authentic

76. Call the Office/Register
Park where they Park
Pee where they Pee
Take a real Tour

77. Never let a good crisis
go to waste.
Rahm Emanuel

78. Kathy Kurz
tomorrow morning

79. Price-vs-Prestige
Selling the Value
Selling to Mom/Dad
Selling Going Away
Cross-Training Staff

81. $180,000

82. Institution Actual Perceived Value
Cost Value Proposition
Your College
1
2
3
4
5

83. targetx.com/shelfari

85. If you’re not confused,
you’re not paying attention.
Tom Peters

87. Don’t look to your
competition for answers.

88. Look for immediate
action steps. Now!

89. Take risks.
Embrace failure.
Let go of control.

90. Something has changed
within me. Something is
not the same. I’m through
with playing by the rules of
someone else’s game.
Defying Gravity, from the musical Wicked

91. Surround yourself with
talented, passionate people.
Close your eyes ...
and leap.

92. Thank you for your time.
Peace.

93. Brian Wm. Niles
niles@targetx.com